WHEN PERFORMANCE STOPS FEELING WORTH IT
- James Rule
- 14 hours ago
- 2 min read
There’s a question many senior leaders are asking silently, not because they’re failing, not because they’re burnt out, but because something doesn’t feel aligned anymore.
“Is this still worth it?”
Worth the time. Worth the energy. Worth the quiet cost leadership extracts.
There have been times in my career when I was asking this question. Initially I ignored it but I learnt the power of stepping towards it, and of reframing the question.
In my work as a coach I find many high performing leaders wrestling with this question but usually in private. These leaders keep delivering, they keep absorbing pressure, keep carrying responsibility without complaint.
From the outside, everything looks fine but inside, their fulfilment is leaking away.
What I see far too often is leaders responding in one of three ways:
Working harder and hoping the feeling disappears.
Filling every moment with activity so there’s no space to think and actually reflect on the question.
Fantasising about a completely different life or role.
None of those answer the question. They just postpone it, kicking the proverbial can further down the road.
From my personal experience as a CEO and from the coaching and mentoring of hundreds of leaders at The Lonely Leader the real shift happens when leaders stop asking “Is it worth it?” and start asking:
“What needs to change for this to be worth it again?”
That question brings clarity. Clarity restores control. And control changes how leadership feels because we can build a new road map and start to take the necessary action to course correct.
We can establish cleaner priorities, create better boundaries. We find we have more energy, our mindset is empowered, our performance improves and we find greater fulfilment!
Leadership is not something you should feel punished and isolated by when the question arises, reframe it and do not ignore it! Your performance and more importantly fulfilment depends on it.
If this newsletter resonates, I explore the concept fully in the latest episode of The Lonely Leader Podcast (links below) highlighting the traps to avoid and the practical shifts that will make leadership feel aligned again.
You’re not the first leader to ask this question. You won’t be the last. And asking it doesn’t make you weak it makes you honest and shows you have the desire to make a change. Life is not a dress rehearsal so when the question rises "Is it worth it?" we want to be in a position where we can immediately respond with "Yes absolutely!"
I wish you the very best of luck on your continued journey of growth and development.
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